Regardless of Kanter trade, it's time for Gobert to start


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SALT LAKE CITY — Just after wrapping up a loss on the road against the Dallas Mavericks, Enes Kanter pulled the Salt Lake Tribune’s Aaron Falk aside and informed the reporter of his desire to be traded. Kanter boarded a plane, separate from his teammates, and headed east while the rest of the Utah Jazz roster returned to Utah to prepare for the NBA’s All-Star weekend.

Kanter has forced the Jazz and general manager Dennis Lindsey into an awkward situation, asking not only to be traded, but giving them a short timeline to make a decision on the ill-timed ultimatum, of which no positive outcome exists. If Lindsey bows to Kanter’s commands, he’ll appear to be at the beck and call of his players' playing-time demands, happy or unhappy, in a business where unhappiness is assumed from players believing they deserve a bigger role. If Lindsey holds onto Kanter, he and first year head coach Quin Snyder must find a way to balance Kanter’s minutes, while a fan base aware of his unhappiness will rake over the young big man’s nightly performances with a fine-toothed comb.

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Kanter is 22 years old and approaching a pivotal offseason in his career, able to extend his contract with the Jazz or sign a contract offer with another willing franchise. One way or another, Kanter’s belief that he has been mishandled by the Jazz has created a storm cloud that will follow him as long as he dons a Jazz uniform.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle for Synder and the Jazz is to sell Kanter on the belief that his brightest future might be in Utah.

While Kanter reportedly flew to Pennsylvania for the extended break, second-year center Rudy Gobert dominated the NBA’s Rising Stars Challenge, finishing the game with 18 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks against the NBA’s best first- and second-year players.

Starting jobs aren’t won in the NBA by impressive All-Star weekend performances but by contributing to the starting line-up against the league's best starters.

In eight games Gobert has appeared in as a starter, he’s only slightly improved the Jazz's winning percentage, leading the Jazz to a 3-5 record, or a .375 winning percentage. When coming off the bench, Gobert and the Jazz sport a 16-29 record, or a .355 winning percentage. Over an 82-game season, with these winning percentages, Gobert would improve the Jazz by just over a single win, an almost negligible gain, as a full-time starter.


Kanter has forced the Jazz and general manager Dennis Lindsey into an awkward situation, asking not only to be traded, but giving them a short timeline to make a decision on the ill-timed ultimatum, of which no positive outcome exists.

Where Gobert stands out however, is how he improves the frontcourt player starting next to him. In five games starting alongside Gobert, Derrick Favors' season averages increase from 15.9 points per game to 19.8, and 8.1 rebounds per game to 9.6, while his 54 percent field goal percentage climbs to 58 percent.

The same improvements can be seen when Gobert starts alongside Kanter. In three starts, Kanter improves his season averages from 13.8 points per game to a staggering 20.6, and 7.8 rebounds to 11.3, while retaining a respectable 49 percent field goal percentage.

When combined, Kanter and Favors combine to average an elite 20.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game while shooting 54 percent from the floor.

Currently, the Jazz offensive rating (a measurement of the team's points scored per 100 possessions) stands at a slightly above average 106 points for the season, 14th best in the NBA. This number improves slightly to 106.83 with Gobert starting, good for 12th in the league. The Jazz have a defensive rating of 108.7 for the season, good for 26th in the league, which improves to 107.45 with Gobert filling the starting role, improving to 21st in the NBA. This represents significant growth for a young roster that soon will be fighting for a playoff spot.

Whether the Jazz find a trade partner for Enes Kanter, or risk bringing him back under less than ideal circumstances, the future of the starting line-up seems clear. Snyder and the team’s front office have provided enough opportunity for Favors and Kanter to show that they can coexist to begin games, and the results have been unimpressive. It’s time to pass the torch to Rudy Gobert as the Jazz starting center and let Kanter or Favors flourish next to him.


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About the Author: Ben Anderson ------------------------------

Ben Anderson is the co-host of Gunther in the Afternoon with Kyle Gunther on 1320 KFAN from 3-7, Monday through Friday. Read Ben's Utah Jazz blog at 1320kfan.com, and follow him on Twitter @BenKFAN.

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